TV-RADIO NOTEBOOK: Vargas leaving KFNC

Vargas leaving KFNC to focus on Ch. 39 job

By David Barron |
March 14, 2008

When you've got two bosses, and one of them is Sam Zell, the new bottom-line-oriented billionaire owner of Tribune Co., perhaps it's better to have just one boss.

And so, with Zell's recent visit to KHCW (Ch. 39) fresh in his mind, Channel 39 sports director Jorge Vargas gave notice Thursday at his day job at Cumulus Radio's KFNC (97.5 FM).

Vargas, who anchors Channel 39's 9 p.m. sportscasts, will work one last shift today on 97.5's Bottom Line show with Chronicle columnist Jerome Solomon, his on-air partner since the station switched to sports talk in February 2007.

His decision to leave radio came within a few days after he and other Channel 39 employees met with their new boss during Zell's tour of Tribune properties around the country.

"Working with Jerome and working with the whole group (at KFNC) has been great, but radio takes a ton of time," Vargas said. "(Zell) talked to us about refocusing the business and trying to find a way to do things better, and that got me thinking that I might need to refocus, too.

"I still love radio, and if the opportunity presents itself, I would love to do it again."

KFNC program director Jon Madani, 97.5 host Dave Tepper and former Chronicle sports editor Fred Faour, who recently joined the station, will work with Solomon until Tepper names a permanent co-host for Solomon.

"Jorge has been a very important part of our station launch and our early success here in Houston," Madani said. "We will obviously miss him, but we respectfully understand his decision and wish him the best."

Sports Emmy nominations

HBO topped the list with 31 nominations, including five for the late Inside the NFL, for the Sports Emmy Awards to be announced April 28. Also, Frank Chirkinian, the legendary CBS Sports golf producer, will receive the television academy's lifetime achievement award.

Documentary entries are The Ghosts of Flatbush (HBO), Jonestown: The Game of their Lives (ESPN), Triumph and Tragedy: The Ray Mancini Story (ESPN Classic), Barbaro: A Nation's Horse (NBC) and Dale (NASCAR Images).

America's Game from NFL Films is a likely slam dunk for edited series/anthology, and Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel has all four entries in the journalism category, including Bernard Goldberg's look at dog fighting.

For other entries, consult the Four DVRs, No Waiting blog at chron.com

Four DVRs, no waiting

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